Bracteantha plant named ‘Redbrapin’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Bracteantha plant named ‘Redbrapin’, characterized by its compact and bushy growth habit; upright, outwardly spreading and rounded plant form; freely-flowering habit; dark pink-colored involucral bracts and orange-colored disc florets; and short and strong peduncles that hold inflorescences above the foliage.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofBracteantha plant, botanically known as Bracteantha bracteata andreferred to by the name ‘Redbrapin’.

The new Bracteantha is a product of a planned breeding program conductedby the Inventor in Redland Bay, Queensland, Australia. The objective ofthe program is to create and develop Bracteantha cultivars with acompact growth habit; numerous inflorescences with attractive involucralbract coloration, and long-lasting inflorescences.

The new Bracteantha originated from a cross by the Inventor of aproprietary selection of Bracteantha bracteata identified as code number95-137, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietaryselection of Bracteantha bracteata identified as code number 95-155, notpatented, as the male, or pollen parent. The new Bracteantha wasdiscovered and selected by the Inventor as a plant within the progeny ofthe stated cross in a controlled environment in Redland Bay, Queensland,Australia in 1997. The selection of the new Bracteantha was based on itsdark pink-colored involucral bracts and compact growth habit.

Asexual reproduction of the new Bracteantha by terminal cuttings takenin a controlled environment in Redland Bay, Queensland, Australia, hasshown that the unique features of this new Bracteantha are stable andreproduced true to type in successive generations.

The new Bracteantha has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength, lightintensity, photoperiod, and water and nutritional status without,however, any variance in genotype.

The following characteristics have been repeatedly observed and aredetermined to be basic charactertistics of ‘Redbrapin’ and distinguishthe new Bracteantha as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Compact and bushy growth habit.

2. Upright, outwardly spreading and rounded plant form.

3. Freely-flowering habit.

4. Dark pink-colored involucral bracts and orange-colored disc florets.

5. Short and strong peduncles that hold inflorescences above thefoliage.

Plants of the new Bracteantha can be compared to plants of the femaleparent, the selection 95-137. In side-by-side comparisons conducted bythe Inventor in Redland Bay, Queensland, Australia, plants of the newBracteantha differed from plants of the selection 95-137 in thefollowing characteristics:

1. Inflorescence shape of the new Bracteantha is star-shaped whereasinflorescence shape of the selection 95-137 is rounded.

2. Inflorescences of the new Bracteantha have fewer involucral bractsthan inflorescences of the selection 95-137.

3. Inflorescences of the new Bracteantha have dark pink-coloredinvolucral bracts whereas inflorescences of the selection 95-137 havepale pink-colored involucral bracts.

Plants of the new Bracteantha can be compared to plants of the malesparent, the selection 95-155. In side-by-side comparisons conducted bythe Inventor in Redland Bay, Queensland, Australia, plants of the newBracteantha differed from plants of the selection 95-155 in thefollowing characteristics:

1. Growth habit of the new Bracteantha is compact and bushy whereasgrowth habit of the selection 95-155 is upright and open.

2. Inflorescences of the new Bracteantha have dark pink-coloredinvolucral bracts whereas inflorescences of the selection 95-155 havered-colored involucral bracts.

Plants of the new Bracteantha can also be compared to plants of thecultivar Florabella Elizabeth, not patented. In side-by-side comparisonsconducted by the Inventor in Redland Bay, Queensland, Australia, plantsof the new Bracteantha differed from plants of the cultivar FlorabellaElizabeth in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Bracteantha are more compact than plants of thecultivar Florabella Elizabeth.

2. Inflorescence shape of the new Bracteantha is star-shaped whereasinflorescence shape of the cultivar Florabella Elizabeth is rounded.

3. Plants of the new Bracteantha have larger inflorescences than plantsof the cultivar Florabella Elizabeth.

4. Plants of the new Bracteantha have shorter peduncles than plants ofthe cultivar Florabella Elizabeth.

Plants of the new Bracteantha differ primarily from plants of thecultivar Redbragol, U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 09/844,369,filed concurrently, in involucral coloration as plants of the cultivarRedbragol have bright yellow-colored involucral bracts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Bracteantha.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective viewof a typical plant of ‘Redbrapin’ grown in a 15-cm container for about 8weeks.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a close-up view of atypical inflorescence of ‘Redbrapin’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following observations, measurements and values describe plantsgrown in Redland Bay, Queensland, Australia, under outdoor conditionswith day temperatures ranging from 20 to 30° C. and night temperaturesranging from 10 to 15° C. Rooted liners of the new Bracteantha wereplanted in 15-cm containers and grown for about 8 weeks. Colorreferences are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart,1995 edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

Botanical classification: Bracteantha bracteata cultivar Redbrapin.

Parentage:

Female or seed parent.—Proprietary selection of Bracteantha bracteataidentified as code number 95-137, not patented.

Male or pollen parent.—Proprietary selection of Bracteantha bracteata,identified as code number 95-155, not patented.

Propagation:

Type.—By cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 7 days at 30° C. Winter: About 14days at 20° C.

Time to produce a rooted cutting.—Summer: About 21 days at 30° C.Winter: About 28 days at 20° C.

Root description.—Fine to fibrous; freely-branching.

Plant description:

General appearance.—Compact and bushy growth habit; upright, outwardlyspreading and rounded plant form with dense foliage and inflorescencesheld above the foliage on strong peduncles. Freely branching, about 33lateral branches per plant. Appropriate for 15-cm containers.

Crop time.—Rapid growth rate; to produce a finished 15-cm containerizedplant from rooted cuttings, about 8 weeks are required.

Plant height.—About 21 cm.

Plant width.—About 23.5 cm.

Lateral branch description.—Length: About 11.5 cm. Width: About 3.9 mm.Internode length: About 1.61 cm. Texture: Slightly pubescent. Color:143C.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, single, sessile. Quantityof leaves per lateral branch: About 21. Length: About 7.3 cm. Width:About 1.38 cm. Shape: Linear elliptic. Margin: Entire. Apex: Acute.Texture, both surfaces: Leathery; smooth, glabrous. Venation pattern:Narrowly arcuate to reticulate. Color: Young and fully expanded leaves,upper surface: 137A; venation, 144D. Young and fully expanded leaves,lower surface: 137C; venation, 144D.

Flowering description:

Inflorescene form.—Daisy-type composite inflorescence form.Inflorescences arranged acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescences,star-shaped.

Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences last on the plant for about 21days. Inflorescences persistent.

Natural flowering season.—Natural flowering season is year-round inRedland Bay, Queensland, Australia; flowering continuous.

Quantity of inflorescences.—One terminal inflorescence per lateralbranch, about 33 inflorescences per plant.

Inflorescence aspect.—Flat.

Inflorescence diameter.—About 4.62 cm.

Inflorescence depth (height).—About 1.76 cm.

Disc diameter.—About 1.26 cm.

Fragrance.—Slight, mild; sweet.

Involucral bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 78 in multiplewhorls. Length: About 1.54 cm. Width: About 4.6 mm. Shape: Ligulate,concave. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, bothsurfaces: Smooth, papery, hard, satiny. Aspect: Mostly flat;perpendicular to the peduncle. Color: When opening and fully opened,upper surface: Inner whorls: 63C. Central whorls: 63B. Outer whorls:63A. When opening and fully opened, lower surface: Inner whorls: 61A.Outer whorls: 63A.

Disc florets.—One inconspicuous whorl of female filiform floretssurround the perimeter of the disc, remainder of disc covered withbisexual disc florets. Quantity per inflorescence: About 487. Shape:Tubular with five lobes. Length: About 8.6 mm. Width: About 0.9 mm.Color: Immature: 23B. Mature: 24B.

Peduncle.—Length: About 4.66 cm. Diameter: About 2.9 mm. Aspect: Erect.Strength: Strong. Texture: Slightly pubescent. Color: 143C.

Inflorescence bud.—Length: About 1.9 cm. Diameter: About 1.72 cm. Shape:Broadly ovoid with acute apex. Color: 61A.

Androecium.—Present only on disc florets. Stamen quantity/arrangement:Fused anther tube with 5 long thin linear anthers surrounding the style.Anther color: 23A. Amount of pollen: Abundant. Pollen color: Yellow.

Gynoecium.—Present on both filiform and disc florets. Pistil number: Oneper floret. Style color: 23A. Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color:23A.

Seed.—Length: About 1.75 mm. Diameter: About 0.73 mm. Color: 177B.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Bracteantha have not beenobserved to be resistant to pathogens or pests common to Bracteantha.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Bracteantha plant named‘Redbrapin’, as illustrated and described.